Abstract: System for automatically controlling an operation determined at the level of a computer server (20) on the basis of a physical action exerted on at least one determined zone of a document (10) extracted from an item of mail, system comprising: a wireless communication circuit (16) activated by the actuation of at least one actuator (14-14F) integrated at the level of at least one determined zone of the document, and a wireless access point router modem (24) for retransmitting to the computer server, via a communication network (22), a message received from the wireless communication circuit comprising at least one datum identifying a recipient of the document and a datum relating to the activation of the actuator, the computer server carrying out the determined operation in response to the message transmitted by the wireless access point router modem.

Abstract: A method of franking mailpieces in a franking machine, wherein: an operator loads a mailpiece on a feed deck of said machine; the width of the mailpiece is determined automatically by a plurality of presence detectors mounted on said feed deck; the length of the mailpiece is estimated by processor means of the machine, on the basis of said width of the mailpiece; an initial franking amount to be applied to the mailpiece is computed by said processor means; the mailpiece is extracted automatically from said feed deck, and a postal imprint is printed by print means of the machine; the real length of the mailpiece is determined by length measurement means of the machine; the real length is compared with the previously estimated length; if these two lengths do not match, an audible or visible alarm is generated by a warning device of said franking machine; said processor means compute a corrected franking amount; and a new postal imprint making it possible to correct the initial franking amount is printed.

Abstract: This invention relates to an ink jet printer and a method of managing the ink quality of such a printer, wherein information on ink pressure P, temperature T, jet speed V, and the nominal ink characteristics (&rgr;n(T), &mgr;n(T)) is available. When the machine is started for the first time, the ink jet is varied at its nominal value and the resulting pressure is measured so as to determine the values a and b characteristic of the ink circuit, the characteristics of the utilized ink &rgr;(T), &mgr;(T), and the difference in level between the print head and the pressure transducer H. These values allow to set the desired pressure value and to take corrective action on ink quality.

Abstract: A writing tool (30) carried by a write head (10) of a drawing machine is transferred to an empty station in a storage turret by bringing the write head carrying the writing tool to a transfer position, engaging the writing tool in the station of the storage device by lowering the tool, and disengaging the writing tool from the write head by moving the write head away from the transfer position. A writing tool is transferred from a station of the storage device to the write head by engaging the writing tool on the write head by bringing the write head into the transfer position, disengaging the writing tool from its station in the storage device by raising the tool, and displacing the write head together with the writing tool away from the transfer position. Tool transfer is thus provided solely by a combination of the vertical tool movements and the displacement of the write head along a given direction as normally required for the purpose of plotting on a print medium.

Abstract: Two pressure wheels are mounted on respective support parts and are pressed against respective edges of print medium by a common force-applying device such as a cable acting substantially equally on two mechanical devices on which the pressure wheels are mounted in order to transmit substantially identical forces thereto; each wheel may be mounted at one end of a lever which is hinged to the corresponding support part and which supports a pulley over which the cable passes.